US intelligence believes Russia wants Trump to win, Israel expands campaign in Lebanon, North Korea sends troops to Ukraine to help Russia?

The EU sets a new framework for sanctions against Russia, Ukraine cuts off the Russian-European gas pipeline, North Korea "slams the door to unification" with South Korea, British newspapers say Ukraine is discussing the possibility of ceding part of its territory to Russia... are some of the notable international events in the past 24 hours.

Leader Kim Jong Un declared that he no longer pursues reconciliation and unification with South Korea. (Source: KCNA)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia-Pacific

*Russia-China conduct anti-submarine exercises in the Pacific: The Pacific Fleet press service announced that warships of the Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy conducted anti-submarine exercises as part of a joint patrol program in the Asia-Pacific region.

The fleet added that the tactical group from the Russian side includes the large anti-submarine ships "Admiral Panteleev" and "Admiral Tributs" of the Pacific Fleet. Participating in the patrol from the Chinese Navy are the destroyers Xining and Wuxi, the frigate Linyi and the supply ship Taihu.

Warships of the Russian and Chinese navies have begun joint patrols in the Asia-Pacific region after participating in the Northern/Interaction 2024 naval exercises. During the patrol mission, a number of training and combat exercises are planned, including anti-submarine defense and rescue exercises at sea. (Sputnik)

*Malaysia boosts naval presence in the South China Sea: Malaysia is boosting its defense capabilities in the South China Sea with the construction of a new naval base on Borneo island, in response to China's increasingly assertive moves in the region.

The naval base in Bintulu, Sarawak, expected to be operational by 2030, is located just 148 km from Luconia Shoals (Beting Patinggi Ali in Malaysia), an area within Malaysia’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone but claimed by Beijing as its southernmost territory.

As tensions in the South China Sea escalate, US experts have called on Malaysia to adopt a tougher stance in defending its maritime sovereignty, even as its trade relationship with China becomes increasingly important. (SCMP)

*Myanmar to send representative to ASEAN summit in Laos: For the first time in three years, Myanmar will send a representative to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit this week, a diplomatic source said on October 8, as the ruling military government struggles to quell a civil war.

The conflict in Myanmar will top the agenda when ASEAN leaders meet in Laos on October 9, although more than three years of efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis have so far failed.

Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attended an emergency ASEAN summit on the crisis in April 2021, but the bloc has refused to invite him to regular meetings since then. (AFP)

*North Korea "slams the door to unification" with South Korea: On October 7, the South Korean Unification Ministry said North Korea appeared to have held an important parliamentary meeting as scheduled on October 7 to amend the constitution, after leader Kim Jong Un called for removing provisions related to unification and clarifying the country's territorial boundaries.

According to the South Korean Unification Ministry, North Korea may remove provisions on unification, common ethnicity and race, and codify its commitment to occupy South Korean territory in the event of war. North Korea may also cancel inter-Korean agreements in the political and military fields, including the 1991 Basic Agreement between the two Koreas.

The meeting comes after leader Kim Jong Un announced he would no longer pursue reconciliation and unification with South Korea at a party meeting late last year. This is the 11th time North Korea has revised its constitution since it adopted the socialist constitution in 1972. (Yonhap)

Europe

*EU calls on Serbia to take urgent action against "threat" from Russian media: The European Union (EU) has called on Serbia to take urgent measures to counter "manipulation and interference" by Russian media after a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) highlighted the issue.

"The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian state media, including RT, whose broadcasts in and outside the EU have been suspended," EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told AFP on October 8.

Stano stressed that Serbia's failure to join sanctions against Russia and continued to allow Russian media to operate was a serious problem that affected the country's EU accession process. (AFP)

*British newspaper: Ukraine discusses the possibility of ceding part of its territory to Russia: The British Financial Times (FT) revealed that officials in Kiev are discussing the possibility of ceding part of Ukraine's territory to Russia.

The mood in Washington, some Western countries and even Ukraine has changed, the FT said. “The best chance for the future is a negotiated solution that saves most of the country.” Some of Ukraine’s Western allies, who previously insisted on defeating Russia, are “rethinking their objectives” as the situation in the Middle East worsens.

Talks are being held behind closed doors to reach a deal that would give Moscow de facto control over about a fifth of Ukraine's territory, the FT said. (AFP)

*Russia issues international arrest warrant for two Italian journalists: On October 7, the Leninsky District Court in Russia's Kursk province issued an arrest warrant for two Italian journalists, Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini, in absentia. The decision was made at the request of the Border Guard Service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

Traini and Battistini allegedly entered Russian territory from Ukraine to cover the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk Oblast on August 6. The two journalists are said to have accompanied the Ukrainian armed forces to the Sudzhansky district of Kursk Oblast, where the attack by tanks, artillery and light armored vehicles took place.

Traini and Battistini have been placed on federal and international wanted lists. They have been charged in absentia under Article 322 of the Russian Criminal Code for illegally crossing the state border. If they are arrested in Russia or extradited, they face up to five years in prison. (Reuters)

*EU sets new sanctions framework against Russia: The European Council said on October 8 that it had given final approval to a new sanctions framework against Russia for its alleged actions of "destabilizing foreign countries".

In a statement, the European Council confirmed that it had "established a new framework for restrictive measures to respond to Russia's destabilizing actions abroad.

This new framework will allow the EU to target individuals and entities involved in actions and policies of the Government of the Russian Federation that undermine the fundamental values ​​of the EU and its Member States, the security, independence and integrity of the EU, as well as international organisations and third countries." (AP)

*Russian forces enter Ukraine's frontline city of Toretsk: The Ukrainian military announced on the evening of October 7 that Russian forces had entered the suburbs of the frontline city of Toretsk in the east of the country, less than a week after the nearby fortress town of Vuhledar collapsed.

Russia, which controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, has been advancing toward Toretsk since August, taking village by village with the support of ground troops and the increasingly destructive use of guided bombs. With Ukraine losing territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered top brass to do “everything possible” to slow Moscow’s advance along the frontline.

For Ukraine, Toretsk has been a frontline city for 10 years due to its proximity to Ukrainian territory seized by Russian-backed separatists in 2014. Since then, the city has become a defensive stronghold for Kiev. (Reuters)

*Ukraine cuts off Russia-Europe gas lifeline: gas transit agreement with Russia expires at the end of 2024. The decision was made at a joint press conference with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, and could significantly affect gas supplies to Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also affirmed this stance, while Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba stressed that Kiev would not ask Moscow to extend the contract. This comes despite the fact that Ukraine's gas transport system remains an important route for supplying Russian gas to Europe. (AFP)

*Possibility of North Korea sending troops to Ukraine to support Russia: South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Yun said on October 8 that North Korea is likely to deploy members of its regular armed forces to Ukraine to support Russia, the latest sign of deeper military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The assessment comes as North Korea seeks to strengthen ties with Russia, highlighted in a bilateral agreement that includes a mutual defense clause, signed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin at talks in June.

“Since Russia and North Korea have signed a joint treaty that resembles a military alliance, such a deployment is very possible,” Kim Yong Yun noted. Last week, the Kyiv Post cited intelligence sources as saying that six North Korean officers were killed and three others wounded in a Ukrainian missile attack on October 3. (Yonhap)

Middle East – Africa

*Hezbollah asserts that the group's capabilities remain intact: Speaking on television, Hezbollah Deputy Leader Sheikh Naim Qassem on October 8 declared that the group's capabilities remain intact despite Israel's "stormy" attacks in recent weeks.

“Hundreds of rockets and dozens of drones (are launched every day), a large number of Israeli settlements and cities have been hit by rocket fire... I want to assure you that our capabilities are still good,” Qassem said.

At the same time, Hezbollah representatives confirmed that the group's senior leadership is still directing the fight against Israel and that the commanders killed by Israel have been replaced with new ones. Currently, all positions in Hezbollah have been filled and the force will appoint a new leader to replace Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel on September 27. (Al Jazeera)

*Iran threatens to respond strongly to Israel: Speaking on television on October 8, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that the country will respond more strongly if Israel retaliates against Iran's oil or nuclear infrastructure.

A day earlier, Foreign Minister Araghchi asserted that Iran does not want a war in the region. His remarks came as Israel was preparing to take retaliatory measures after Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the country on October 1.

US President Joe Biden said on October 4 that Israel has not yet chosen how to retaliate against Iran. Biden opposes Israel attacking Iran's nuclear and oil facilities. Meanwhile, Israeli military officials asserted that they have response options ready. (Arab News)

*Israel expands ground operations in Lebanon: The Israeli army said on October 8 that its 146th Division had begun limited, localized and targeted operations against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure a day earlier in southwestern Lebanon.

Earlier, the Israeli military also issued an Arabic warning to seafarers and boat users to stay away from a Lebanese coastal area, announcing that they would soon begin operations against Hezbollah from the sea.

The Israeli military describes its ground operation in Lebanon as localized and limited, but the scale of the operation has been gradually increasing since last week. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said its goal is to clear border areas where Hezbollah militants are hiding, with no plans to advance deeper into Lebanon. (Reuters)

America - Latin America

*Bomb explosion in Colombia, 9 soldiers seriously injured: Nine Colombian soldiers were injured in an explosive attack in the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, in the province of Bolívar, on Colombia's Caribbean coast on October 7 (local time).

The bomb explosion occurred as Colombian Army special forces were conducting a series of military operations against armed groups operating in the area.

Santa Rosa del Sur is a region that has seen frequent clashes between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Clan de Golfo (Gulf Clan - Colombia's most notorious drug gang). It is a mining area and a corridor to Venezuela and is often used for illegal activities, including drug smuggling. (AFP)

*Cuba offers to join BRICS as a partner country: Director of the Department of Bilateral Affairs of the Cuban Foreign Ministry Carlos Pereira said in a message to Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the Cuban government officially offers to join the Group of Leading Emerging Economies (BRICS) as a partner country, since Moscow is currently the rotating chair of BRICS.

On social media, Mr. Pereira emphasized: "Cuba has officially requested to join BRICS as a 'partner country' in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently the rotating chairman of the group of countries that is strengthening its position as a key player in global geopolitics and the hope of the Southern Hemisphere".

Russian Ambassador to Cuba Victor Coronelli said earlier that Moscow expects to welcome a Cuban delegation to the BRICS summit in Kazan - the country's President Miguel Diaz-Canel has received a corresponding invitation from Russian leader Putin. (Sputniknews)

*US intelligence believes Russia wants Mr. Trump to win the presidency: The US intelligence community believes that Russia wants Republican candidate Donald Trump to become the new US president, while Iran wants to see Ms. Kamala Harris win the November 5 election.

In a press conference with foreign reporters, the spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States emphasized: "The intelligence community continues to assess that Russia likes the former president (Donald Trump) and Iran likes the vice president (Kamala Harris). We also continue to assess that China is not seeking to influence the presidential election."

Previously, Russian leaders have said that Moscow does not distinguish between candidates and that the American people must choose their own president. (TASS)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-810-tinh-bao-my-nhan-dinh-nga-muon-ong-trump-dac-cu-israel-mo-rong-chien-dich-tai-lebanon-trieu-tien-gui-quan-toi-ukraine-giup-nga-289333.html